HOW EB program continues thanks to TFF

HOW is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization based in the USA, whose staff consists of all volunteers. Its mission is to provide hope and care to neglected, abandoned, and orphaned children in deprived areas of the world with a specific focus on VietNam. WARNING: Graphic images below.

Well, it certainly has been quite a while since I have been able to update everyone on the process and continuing work that Helping Orphans Worldwide, HOW has been working on and there are many updates, changes, wonderful things, horrible upsets, and continued love pouring in.

Please know that some of these photos are very upsetting so I will only post a few on this blog, and then will update the album as the photos are coming in. We usually do not post upsetting photos and like to only show the glorious efforts of our work, but in the case of EB (Epidermolysis Bullosa), which is:

  "A rare genetic skin disease that causes the skin to be so fragile that even the slightest touch will separate the layers of the skin. The skin literally breaks, resulting in painful blisters and open wounds. A mother may never be able to hold her child tightly because the skin would peel off and bleed. Children with EB may never run or play as other children because even the slightest friction will cause them great pain."

We really have no choice but to be honest about what happens and the roadblocks we are finding along the way in Vietnam. As EB is genetic the countries, which are developing, are some of the most difficult to get help for. This genetic disorder is horrific anywhere and everywhere but in the countries where the education surrounding EB is limited, we are facing things we had no idea about and hard working with many amazing volunteer doctors, nurses, kind people making wound care donations, and with the wonderful financial help of  "Transparent Fish Fund", and "The Ping and Amy Chow Family Foundation" and we are making slow but positive progress, and then we are finding road blocks that make us work harder, hunt for creative solutions and deal with issues that are making our work next to impossible but we will never give up.

Please know that these photos are only to give you an idea of what these children and families, volunteers and HOW, are all faced with on a daily basis. We are not printing the names of these children to protect their privacy as we have been asked to keep their names private as well.

Helping Orphans Worldwide, HOW, has been truly blessed with amazing volunteers and helpers who have had to watch the DVD, which has been translated, read the manual which has also been translated (all through volunteers and board members) HOW HAS ZERO MONITARY PAID STAFF, our payment comes from the small bit of comfort and joy we can assist in giving.

As volunteers we are all learning that the problem is not just the horrific fact that these children are in desperate need of wound care materials that can cost more then an average paycheck of what is equivalent to $250.00 USD per month (ONLY FOR WOUND CARE materials), and the 4 to 8 hours of painful PROPER wound care treatment, but also the very serious need for nutritional support, and having a family member or dedicated staff member at an orphanage who can dedicate time, gentle love, patients, and being able to go through the daily painful treatments while the children are in extreme pain in order  to help these precious and delicate children.

We have been asked questions like  “Why can’t you just send someone over to their homes for a few months and teach the families, show them, and help to educate them about how important good nutrition is, and cleanliness... that’s not such a big deal”, and we have heard “just take them to the doctor or hospital to treat the infected wounds, and just raise the funds for that, they will be fine, there are people all over the world living with EB”, we have heard many suggestions from professionals who know so much and are amazing, but these suggestions are simply not possible in the conditions we are working with. We are learning along the way that where we are working there is no such thing as “EASIER SOLUTIONS”.

We had no idea what we were up against and we really are working very hard to find solutions to problems we thought would be easily addressed with “wound care assistance and education” WRONG!

We continue to look for volunteer nurses, doctors to help educate the doctors and nurses in 2 hospitals for the children we can get to these hospitals, but most of these kids can’t travel the distance to get to these hospitals.

We are working very hard to find a local nutritional solution to getting these sweet children the nutrition they require to begin to heal along with the proper wound care, and the ability to sustain these conditions once we have figured out how to also get more local volunteers to help us to help these children and their families.

We will not give up; we will continue to work proactively while we wait for a TRUE cure, as there is currently no cure but GREAT HOPE! To find out more please visit our website www.helpinghow.com Although this seems very upsetting if you see the progress we are making with the children who we are able to work with on a more frequent basis like Huy (who is HOW’s spokesperson for EB in Vietnam)

You will realize why we will never give up and we do believe there are answers and happy little bright spots along the way.

Thank you!!

Original Article was written by Hillary Brown